


I Love Lillies

by dolliewithasmile



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Angst, Comfort, Hurt, Love, M/M, Pain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-24
Updated: 2017-09-24
Packaged: 2019-01-04 20:24:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12175938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dolliewithasmile/pseuds/dolliewithasmile
Summary: Sometimes love isn't enough to make things work.





	I Love Lillies

It was a perfect winter's day up at Snowshoe, the snow had been laid fresh the previous night and glistened in the bright sunlight of the day as they stood atop the large jump. Rhett's palms were damp as he looked down the first jump, he had never been brave enough to try the larger jumps but Link had persuaded him with a little light teasing, though his anxiety was ever present.  
The brunette went first. Rhett cheered him on, hooting and hollering with their friends as he skillfully did a 360 in the air, landing effortlessly. Then it happened. Rhett saw that he was traveling far too fast and his snowboard was moving out of control against the slick snow, he yelled to him to warn him to stop before the next jump, but it was too late. Link had flown into the air and his body contorted as he tried to gain control, and landed hard with a sickening snap followed by a howl of pain.  
Rhett and his friends hurried over to Link and Rhett covered his mouth in horror, his love lay twisted in the snow, not moving, only groaning. Link began repeating himself, instantly forgetting all that had transpired only to discover that he had been hurt again. They took him to the lodge, and all the way Rhett held his hand, whispering words of encouragement while his heart screamed. The once proud and tall brunette now lay in front of him crumpled and weak, his memory constantly rewinding the same conversation over and over again. Will his memory ever get better? Will he end up forgetting me? Those were the questions Rhett dared not ask, far too afraid of what the answer might be.  
It took the ambulance far too long to get to them, the roads particularly icy and packed full of vacationers. When it finally arrived, Rhett followed beside his love on the stretcher and climbed into the back with him, soothing his hair and repeating his conversation with the dazed man every few minutes despite how tiring it was becoming.  
When they had arrived at the hospital, the nurses had told him to wait in the waiting room, but Rhett would not be parted from him, he refused. After minutes of arguing, the nurses finally gave up and allowed him into Link's room, he stood close watching as the nurses eased his clothes off and put him in a gown. Any other time, Rhett may have blushed at having a chance to admire him in all his glory, but all he could look at was his eyes, his once bright blue eyes were hazy and dilated, squinting every so often as pain shot through his body. Rhett begged, 'Please, give him something for the pain!'  
The nurses started him on fluids and pain medication before rolling him into the room marked 'X-Rays', Rhett stood in the corner staring off into space as he bit at his nails, usually he was never one to bite his nails, but it was the only thing keeping him grounded, keeping him from screaming.  
The nurses brought Link back into the room and placed a bright yellow sign in his hands, Rhett rushed over and read it, 'You have a broken pelvis and a concussion.' it said in bold black letters with the words 'broken', 'pelvis', and 'concussion' underlined. Link read the words over and over, and Rhett could tell each and every time his memory rewound itself, his expression would go flat and then his eyebrows would furrow when he read the sign in his hands, he'd ask Rhett questions but then his expression would go flat once more and the whole ordeal would begin anew.  
Rhett walked over to Link's bedside and took his hand in his, leaning down to press a kiss to his full lips. When he pulled away, Link asked what he was doing, Rhett only lifted his tear filled gaze to the beautiful eyes in front of him and whispered the words 'I love you'. The brunette's eyebrows furrowed in confusion but before he could utter a single syllable his memory was swiped clean once more. Rhett had waited years, ever since they were in middle school, to kiss the smaller man, to say those words with the passion and desire packed within them.  
That night he stayed by his bedside, too worried to sleep, so he kept his back to the chair and gazed at the now slumbering beauty in front of him and watched his chest rise and fall with each breath, too afraid to draw his attention from him for one second.  
Their friends came to relieve Rhett of his watch early the next morning, and he refused at first but he knew he couldn't resist the weight of his eyelids and the ache of his muscles any longer. One of their friends bought him a warm hot cocoa from the vending machine in the waiting room before leading him out to their car in the parking lot. Rhett gulped down the warm liquid and sighed when it warmed his insides, making him even sleepier than he had already been. Back at the lodge, Rhett struggled against the weight of his tired limbs as he walked to the room he shared with his brunette. Rhett collapsed onto Link's bed and brought the pillow close to his face, inhaling the sweet scent of his shampoo, tears stinging his eyes as the true reality of the previous day's events hit him. What if his memory never gets better?  
That night he awoke to the phone in the room ringing, he grabbed it with his eyes still closed and pressed it to his ear with a soft, 'Hello?'. Rhett sat up quickly and his eyes snapped open when he heard the sultry tone of his love on the other end, his breath caught and he held back a sob.  
'I'm ok.' He had told Rhett, his memory was improving, but the doctor at the hospital said that he would probably never remember the accident and what transpired immediately after. Rhett couldn't stop the feeling of relief that flowed through his veins; apart from a day missing from Link's memory, he was going to be okay.  
'I've been having weird dreams..' Link whispered and laughed nervously.  
'What about?'  
'You kissed me in one of 'em. Concussions are weird, man.'  
Rhett's heart stopped and his mouth grew dry in panic.  
'Rhett? You there?'  
Rhett breathed slowly and gripped the sheets beneath him, gnawing his bottom lip as he mentally prepared himself for the words he was about to say. 'I did.'  
The other end fell silent and the seconds felt like hours, Rhett's brain whirled and he felt dizzy.  
'Oh.' Link finally spoke.  
'I-I'm sorry, I was just so worried, I-'  
'It's okay Rhett, it's okay. You're gonna come see me tonight, right?'  
'Yeah, of course. See you soon." Rhett hung up the phone and rifled through his duffle bag to find a new pair of pants and a shirt, he quickly got dressed and grabbed his car keys.  
At the hospital, Rhett wandered through the gift shop, scouring the shelves of bouquets and potted plants until his eyes fell upon a bouquet of stargazer lilies. He smiled brightly and brought them to the cashier, shoving a wad of money into the woman's hand with an exclamation of 'Keep the change!' as he ran out the room.  
Rhett made his way down the hallway until he came to his Link's room, he took a deep breath, holding the lilies behind his back as he slowly stepped into the room.  
Link sat up slowly, smiling so brightly his eyes seemed to sparkle. 'Rhett!'  
Rhett stepped over to the brunette and brought his arm from behind his back, holding out the lilies to him.  
Link's eyes glistened with tears and he gently took the lilies into his hands, softly running his fingers over the petals, 'I love lilies..' he whispered, sniffling quietly.  
Rhett pulled up a chair beside him and the two talked for hours, about the accident, about the wedding of a dear friend that Link couldn't quite remember, but they seemed to be avoiding the question that loomed over both of them, too afraid to chance changing the relationship they had worked decades to build.  
Finally, Rhett couldn't bear it any longer, 'So..' He began, nervously rubbing at the back of his neck as his words trailed off.  
The brunette looked over at him, 'Did you mean what you said?'  
Rhett nodded, looking away.  
'Look at me?'  
Rhett slowly met his gaze, tears threatening to fall.  
'You're beautiful.' Link whispered and reached out his hand, cupping Rhett's stubbly jaw, his thumb working small circles against his cheek.  
Rhett's breath caught and he let a sob go, tears flowing freely down his cheeks. 'You don't hate me?'  
Link leaned over as far as he could, wincing when pain from his pelvis shot through him, but he fought through it and leaned further until he felt the soft lips of his best friend pressed against his.  
Time slowed between them and they poured years of dreams and wishes into the connection of their lips, nervous hands sliding across broad shoulders and finding their way entangled in one another's hair.  
They parted with gasps, chests falling and rising quickly, and the air around them seemed to change. No longer was there a feeling of friendly love and familiarity around them, but undeniable need and a newfound love that they greedily grasped at.  
The remaining weeks at Snowshoe the two spent within one another's arms, drowning in their embrace and only finding a breath of air when their lips pressed together. When not within the comfort and security of their room, their hands always found excuses to touch the other, and their eyes were always locked, a silent conversation passing between them that no one ever noticed.  
But all good things have an end.  
After they returned to their University in North Carolina, they found that stealing time together became harder and harder, and the late night hours they had longed to spend pressed against one another was spent with their noses shoved into books, desperately trying not to flunk their classes. The stress of their classes, their band, and their part time jobs became too much, and soon a rift began to grow between them, and any time they were in the same room resulted in argument after argument.  
On a cool saturday night, his beautiful brunette came to their gig with a blond girl named Christy at his side. Rhett's eyebrows furrowed and he looked between them, his eyes finally settling on Link's, searching them for the answer he already knew.  
Rhett had played the part of the best friend and introduced himself, politely laughing at every joke Christy made, even giving her a hug when she left to go back to her dorm after their set. She was a permanent fixture within their lives, coming to cheer them on at every concert, joining them at every party and cook out. Rhett always made sure to give the couple plenty of room, but couldn't help watching them kiss from afar, and every time Link's eyes would open and find Rhett's across a crowded room, silently conveying the pain he felt inside.  
The two suffered in silence, never daring to speak of their inner turmoil, never daring to touch again for fear that they wouldn't be able to stop themselves. But they both knew, they knew that sometimes love wasn't enough.  
Then one day, in early October, Link had set him down to deliver the news that would shatter Rhett's heart, and sever any chance of them coming together again. Link's girlfriend was pregnant, and they were getting married. Rhett smiled and hugged the brunette, offering his congratulations, but inside his heart felt as if it had been crushed into dust.  
Rhett was asked to be his groomsman, he accepted and gave him a clap on the shoulder with a bright smile. Link smiled and their eyes met, and they saw it - their love hadn't died for one another, and it probably never would, it was a cross that they would have to bear in silence. The day of the wedding came and it felt as if it went on for days, the steps of Link's bride down the aisle moved at a snail's pace, and he found himself gazing at the groom when everyone else was admiring the bride.  
The newly wedded couple kissed and Rhett's smile strained, tears rolling down his cheeks freely, while everyone in the room was crying in happiness for the newlyweds, Rhett cried for the complete loss of the only thing that had ever truly brought him happiness.  
Rhett got a call early in the summer and his heart broke, today was the day, the day the love of his life finally made a family with someone who wasn't him. He paced outside the operating room with a gift basket tucked under his arm, nervously running a sweaty hand through his hair.  
Rhett heard the sharp wailing cry of a baby, and not long after the nurses wheeled the Link's wife through the hall and into a room, Link following close behind. Rhett's heart raced and he followed them, peeking into the room, 'Is it okay to come in?'.  
'Come in, bo!' Link said with a laugh and Rhett smiled, stepping into the room and setting the gift basket beside the tired and disheveled wife.  
Rhett stepped over to Link, feeling a blush creep up his neck when Link wrapped an arm lazily around his shoulders. 'So that's her..' Rhett whispered with a smile.  
Christy smiled as she rocked the newborn baby, 'Would you like to hold her?'.  
Rhett was taken aback, but nodded, watching as she tucked the sleeping baby into his arms. He held her carefully, supporting her head and holding her close to his chest. 'She's beautiful.' He whispered, 'She looks just like you.' He glanced at Link.  
'We want you to be her god-father.' Link said with a smile, squeezing his shoulder.  
Rhett smiled, 'I'd be honored.' He looked to Christy and back at the brunette, 'What's her name?'  
Link smiled, fresh tears glistening in his eyes, 'Lily.'  
Rhett's heart pounded hard against his chest, 'Lily..?' He whispered, tears filling his eyes.  
'I love lilies.' His love said just above a whisper.


End file.
